Knight surname meaning

Knight began with the medieval word for a mounted warrior, but the older English cniht originally meant a boy, servant, or retainer. As social institutions changed, knight became a title and a recognizable status. A surname could therefore belong to someone who held the rank, served in a knight’s household, or was given the status name as a byname. The word is not evidence that every Knight ancestor was noble. Occupation is the closest of the project’s four types because the historical label described a role or status, and confidence is high.